cadet blogs

I have realized since being here at the Academy that cultural diversity is not what ethnicity you are. Yes, I believe it plays a part of who you are, but a bigger factor of making you unique is where and how you were brought up.

I spent this Thanksgiving in Indiana at my friend, Mary’s house. It was the first break I have not gone home and also the first time I have ever been in Indiana. It was all a new experience for me and during my stay I saw what made Mary the way she is. Her personality does not come from her being a mix of European ethnicities; it comes from her being the oldest out of eight, growing up in the country lifestyle of Indiana. I realized that being at the Coast Guard Academy has really been an opportunity to meet different kinds of people from all over the U.S. and the world (with our international cadets). I learned a lot while staying with the Hazen family over Thanksgiving and also how cadets are different. There were three of us that went to Indiana to spend Thanksgiving and we all represented a different part of the United States, one coming from Washington state, one from Texas, and me from New York City. I saw how where we came from and how we were brought up played a bigger part in shaping us and making us culturally diverse. Back in New York, my city and state universities are filled with different ethnicities, Hispanics, Asians, African Americans, and Caucasians however, since we are all born and raised in New York City, there is not much of a cultural diversity. I witness more cultural diversity at the Coast Guard Academy and in the season to be thankful, I am so blessed to be at the Academy and learning and experiencing new things from new people.